The Boy with The Red Scarf
by IamTheAnon
Summary: On her way to complete a job that she had accepted, Erza Scarlet's walk is interrupted by someone. An injured boy that seems like he doesn't belong in the world. On the brink of death, Erza decides to help him and brings him back to the guild hall. The boy is confused and unaware of what's happening. Where are his friends, what happened to the walls, and where was he?
1. Chapter 1

Hello people, animals... lifeforms? Regardless of what you are, thanks for actually clicking on my stupid little crackship story. This before story intro contains important material you should know before.

**/!\Warning/!\**

This fanfiction contains a genderbent character. In this case, it is Mikasa, or Mikase. If you don't wanna read about that, You can leave now if you wish, but I'd greatly appreciate some feedback if you decide this little crap shoot's even worth that.

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Sobbing. A toned down whine was floating around that space that she occupied. Erza was hiking up an old mountain path towards the destination that her job was bringing her to. The greenery was lush on this warm morning and seemed to sparkle as the morning sun came into contact with the dew, rolling off the leaves and falling into the unkempt blades of grass that lay beneath. Twigs scattered the ground, making every other step that she took crunch with a dry protest. Wildlife was scarce as she plodded along the steep trail. She was acutely aware of the troubling noises surrounding her. She dropped the handle of the cart that held her luggage.

"Who's there?" She demanded. The pitiful sounds that were echoing around the trees came to an abrupt stop. The wind played with the leaves on bushes and trees alike. The resonance of rustling leaves filled the air, covering any small hints that she may have been able to pick up by ear. Erza narrowed her eyes. Something was out there. Human or not, it had been crying. And she was going to find out why.

"I said, who's there?!" She yelled. No indication of anything living was given. Could this thing not respond? Was it not able to speak in her tongue? Or was it afraid? Regardless of what it felt, Erza was going to at least find out what it was. The steady wind continued to tease the trees, not particularly strong, but enough to move the upper branches of the trees that towered around her. The illusion that it was silent came after several minutes of continuous rustling. Erza took on a well-honed battle stance and looked around herself. She closed her eyes and focused on the most miniscule utterances that took place in her vicinity.

A sniffle. To the right of the path, an almost inaudible action alerted Erza to the creature's position. Requiping her sword, she cautiously approached the right side of the road. As she drew closer to the location which she believed that this things was hiding at, the sniffling grew just the tiniest bit louder. This could be some wild animal with something bothering its nose. It could be one of the dragon slayers, Erza thought jokingly. But as easy as that would make this, that probably wasn't the case. All of the dragon slayers in Fairy Tail were strong proud people, they wouldn't come out here to cry. Besides, Natsu was off on a job with Gray, Laxus was hanging around on the second floor and Wendy was receiving lessons from Gajeel for the dragon's roar technique.

Upon taking another step, a dry cracking resounded throughout the trees. Erza clenched her teeth. How could she have been so careless? It might get spooked and run off! She was close enough now to peek around the bushes and tree that obscured her view of whatever this thing was. Tentatively, the queen of fairies peeked at what had enraptured her attention. The position that she held was unfortunately not a very good one, and she could only make out a portion or red fabric, along with a metallic box. What on earth is that?

Erza shuffled closer, testing how close she could get before this creature ran off. Pushing at the bushes, she got just what she wanted. What she saw was something she never wanted to see again. A boy, probably around her age, lay against the tree. Blood stains dotted his clothing from head to toe, and Erza could only hope it didn't belong to him. There were extremely thin blades scattered around him. Some were pouring from the metal boxes she had seen earlier. Two of the blades however, were attached to handles which were connected to a harness set that covered his whole body. The boxes were attached to the hips with more belts. The skirt he wore to most likely cover more belts, was ripped and matted with an unidentifiable substance. Long knee high boots covered his legs. His right ankle had been flipped backwards, the bone stretching the sickly white skin, almost piercing it, but not being kind enough to do so. His knees were drawn up to his chest, keeping the pressure off his right ankle. The boy's left arm was hanging limply next to his body, swaying ever so slightly in the breeze. A red scarf was wrapped partially around his neck, the rest of it drooping down to the forest's floor.

Erza was stunned for a moment. Who would do this, why would they do it, and where were they now? The scarlet knight swallowed hard. There was a bad vibe coming off of this boy. What could she do for him? It seemed like he wasn't just out here on a stroll, with all this… equipment, he would have had a specific goal in mind.

Unable to see his face from the angle, Erza shifted once more, lowering herself into the bush while keeping her gaze trained on the boy. When his face came into view, Erza was yet again surprised. He had a soft face with small gray eyes that were focused on the ground in front of him. His eyes were red from crying, and there were wet spots on his knees and shirt. Small streams of tears escaped those eyes, leaving trails in the dirt and blood covered skin. Jet black hair framed his face, stopping shortly below his chin. His right hand held his scarf over his mouth, muffling the sounds that leaked from it. This boy was in unimaginable pain, probably comparable to when she destroyed three hundred lightning lacrima during the Fantasia Parade.

She couldn't just leave him here, not when he was in this condition. She would help him, and figure out what had happened to this poor boy. As much as it pained her to do so, she would have to use a kind and soft voice. This boy was in no shape to be yelled at, let alone in her commanding tone of voice. Erza sighed and retreated from her position. Walking around the tree, she requiped into something less threatening than her armour.

"H-hello?" She timidly asked. A sudden scraping of metal alerted Erza to the boys' movement. She scowled. This nice girl act was more draining on her than any of her high level spells. "I-is anyone there?" She paused, "I thought I heard someone crying…" He sniffled, and a twig snapped behind the tree. Erza slowly moved around the tree. She was met with cold gray eyes that held none of the emotion that was there moments ago. Erza looked him over once, as if seeing him for the first time. "You're badly hurt!" She exclaimed. His gaze hardened and looked up to meet her own. "Please let me help you! I know a mage that's very skilled in healing." The boy tore his gaze away.

"Mage? What's a mage?" He muttered under his breath. Erza caught every word of it. She took a step back. How could this boy not know what a mage was? It was common knowledge, and everyone knew about them. He looked back at her. "Who are you, where am I, and which wall are we closest to?" Erza was stunned. How could this boy whom looked like he was collapsing from the injuries he was suffering from, just demand things with a clear and unwavering voice? And why was he talking about walls? What did that have to do with anything?

A strong gust of wind shook the trees and ripped the loosely hung scarf from his neck. The scarf travelled in the air for a moment before landing in front of Erza's feet. The boy's reaction was almost instantaneous. He jolted up on his good leg and lunged for the scarf.

Erza gasped, "How could you do that!" She exclaimed. He was shaking, one of the metal boxes had landed on his bad arm. She reached down to remove it from his arm, but the boy glared at her and practically hissed.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on that." She slowly stood up and took a few paces backwards. So, the kid was super attached to the equipment and scarf he had on, good to know. Erza had to get this boy into the guild as soon as she could humanly manage. She looked him over once more. The skin that was visible was marred with scrapes, cuts and bruises. The boy was staring at the ground before her feet. "I don't need your help. I need to help my friends." He stopped, "I… I need to save humanity." Erza saw a flicker of something in those eyes. She smiled.

"I realise that you have to help them. But before you can help them, you have to help yourself get better. You're in no condition to fight." She bent down and offered her hand to him. She was calm, composed and ready to help on the outside, but inside a hurricane of questions pelted her with no mercy. What did he mean by save humanity? What was he fighting against, and did whatever he lost to now have his friends? Erza blinked and cleared the question for the time being. "Please, let me help you, so you can help your friends." The boy grumbled and looked from his arm to his ankle.

"I don't want to say yes, but I very well may not have another person come across me in this region. I will accept your aid for the time being." Erza couldn't tell if it was from blood loss, or the very formal acceptance to her help that created the thin blush that spread across his cheeks. She grinned as he took her hand and helped him up.

"Now, how should we do this…?" Erza wondered aloud. "I could… carry you on my back." He shook his head almost as soon as the words left her lips. She raised an eyebrow, curiosity lacing her ire. Was there something that could hurt him if he was carried?

"And you are so opposed to this idea, why?" She intoned. "Are you hurt in the abdomen as well?" He shook his head and shifted his gaze to something off to the side.

"No, I only have scrapes, and a few minor puncture wounds in the stomach area. It's just…" He trailed off, obliviously not wanting to continue.

"It's just, what" Erza prompted him. Why didn't he want to say anything? Well, there's a good possibility that anyone wouldn't want to talk to someone if they were found like this.

He scowled. "I mean for one thing, a guy like me being carried by a girl like you would be a little embarrassing, and also there's the chance that you might not be able to lift me, so…" He fell silent once again after explaining himself.

Erza scoffed at the comments. "I'm much stronger than I look. I'll be able to carry you and your," She thought for a moment, "equipment easily." The boy looked like she had just confessed to eating live children after performing a vivisection on them. Uncertainty settled on his features.

"You're sure about that?" He inquired hesitantly.

Erza smiled. "Yeah I'm sure. You're going to get weird looks if you're with me anyways. I'm not just some face in the crowd, you know." His uncertainty was twisted into something akin to confusion.

He dwelled on whether or not to just accept the offer and get on my back, or think up another way to get around this. The wind swirled around them, shifting his hair ever so slightly. The grass around the two swished with a thousand whispers as their blades met one another. Somewhere on the mountain, a bird cried as it dove after its prey. Branches creaked on the tall trees surrounding the duo.

The sun was starting to warm the forest on this brisk morning and Erza had yet to even arrive at the jobs destination. She would leave him at the guild after a few hours, and go complete the quest. It was simple, really. Just kill a mountain troll that had been terrorizing a village for the past week.

Finally the boy came to a decision and agreed to ride on her back. "It's not like I want to do this, but walking would most likely ruin my ankle permanently. If that happened, the captain would murder me."

Erza crouched down in front of him, and he gently lowered himself onto her back. He grimaced as his ankle brushed her side. The equipment he wore was actually quite awkward as well, it hung on his sides' right where her arms would hold him down.

"Can you slide your legs forward a little more? The boxes are in the way." He did as instructed and draped his good arm over her shoulder. Erza snaked her hands under his legs and grabbed his knees. "Will this be alright?"

The boy nodded and gripped her shoulder. "Could you pick up my blades though?" Erza scanned the area for his fallen blades and quickly snatched them up.

"These go, in the boxes… right?" She questioned. His reply came in a well-practiced line.

"Yes, the tip of it goes on the bottom, one per slot." She carefully slid the blades into their places and slightly readjusted her grip on his legs.

"Okay, that's everything? I'm going to stand up now, so hold on tight." Feeling only his right arm squeeze her shoulder, Erza remembered his left dangling arm. "Is your arm going to be alright?" She eyed it warily, as if it could become even more broken as it was.

"I'll still it the best I can with my shoulder, but don't worry about it." This kid… has amazing resistance to pain. What he has experienced, I couldn't begin to imagine.

Erza stood slowly, expecting a great weight to rest on her back, but was greeted with something weighing akin to one of her heavier armour sets. She started with a steady pace towards her cart, watching for anything that she could step on and that could possibly throw her balance off.

Leaving the shadows of the trees, the boy winced at the harsh sunlight. While picking up the handle to her cart, the boy started to relax a little. He breathed out a couple of words, inaudible to the average person.

"Thank you." Erza smiled at this, and started down the mountain. She had secured the boy, and was getting him to medical care, but other thoughts weighed heavy on the forefront of her mind. Later, she mentally chided herself. She could ask him later.

"I'm more than happy to help you," She said. "And by the way, my name is Erza. Erza Scarlet." She felt him nod against her neck.

His grip on her shoulder gradually faded until it was just resting on the bone. His breathing evened out, and his eyes drooped shut. The boy passed out on her back on the way to the guild hall.

* * *

Okay, so I realise that this is like one of those "what the hell were they thinking" crackships, and quite honestly I don't support it wholeheartedly, but in my shipping circles, Neither Erza or Mikasa had any good potential ships. (Please don't kill me people who ship Levi/Mikasa, Mikasa/Eren, Mikasa/Annie or Erza/Jellal, Erza/Natsu, Erza/Gray). This is all for fun, and it might have mature themes later on. But judging by how slowly I write, and get anything done, plot-wise, that's not going to happen anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2

After an hour of plodding down the mountainside, the sun was directly overhead. Its harsh rays turned the crisp air into a muggy heat. It was going to be one of those days, Erza decided as she strode along the path with an uneasy feeling brewing in the pit of her stomach.

At some point during her rather prolonged walk, the boy who had been somewhat holding on in his sleep, started to slip. She stopped momentarily, readjusting her grip on his legs. His head was resting on her own. It wasn't an uncomfortable position, she had experienced it many times before while carrying Natsu or Gray after they had been knocked out. But this was different. His hair, unlike Natsu's or Gray's had a soft, almost plush feeling to it, as if it were the fur that a cat retained from its days as a kitten. Erza allowed a small smile to pop up at the thought. But as soon as the grin had appeared, it vanished. This was a serious situation. This boy could be dying on her back, and here she was comparing his hair to that of a kitten's. She bit her tongue to keep her mind off such ridiculous things and bring her back to reality.

The leaves of the towering trees that stood far above them partially blocked the sunlight, creating a patch of darkness here, or a small streak of light there. The patchwork of shadows led her down the path that seemed like it had doubled in length. Wildlife had begun to stir, and the mountain didn't seem so... empty anymore. Birds chirped, insects hummed and frogs croaked together in a wonderful symphony of life.

Twigs still crunched underfoot, and pebbles flew short distances when picked up by Erza's constantly moving feet. They would be at the base of the mountain soon, and that would mean only another half an hour until town. No, she had to be faster than that. She could make it in ten. Erza grinned. This could be interesting, she thought as her pace sped up considerably.

Halfway to town, the gravel path became a worn dirt road. Its fine dust was spread throughout the air whenever the slightest breeze rolled by, creating a small dust cloud that hovered around Erza with no sign of ending.

Once she got there, she ought to buy something for the boy to eat. He was terribly thin, and she could feel it as his ribcage knocked against her back every now and then. Why was he this thin? He didn't look malnourished, just really skinny. Perhaps he was homeless?

What would she do with this guy after she returned him to the guild? Surely they would have Wendy treat him, but what about herself? She had a job to do, but something nagged at her, urging her to stay near this boy. Staying on a steady course, the first buildings on the edge of the town came into view.

From here she could make out the people dotting the streets before them. The next train wouldn't be here for a good portion of an hour, they'd have to time to waste. She could check over his wounds, grab something for them to eat and notify the guild of her preemptive return from her job.

As they met the crowd in the streets many faces turned to watch them pass. Whispers filled the air. The weight on her back felt heavier for a split second, almost akin to her luggage in terms of heaviness. Her cart usually drew the most attention to them, but it seemed like most were looking at the boy on her back. It was very likely, most of these people wouldn't have seen someone this beat up in their lives.

Erza pressed forwards towards the nearest cafe. She didn't know what he would or wouldn't like, but he would need something that could fill him up. I'll order him some tea and a heavy slice of cake she decided.

Dropping her cart outside, Erza entered the building. As she had predicted, eyes widened as she walked up to the counter and ordered herself and the boy cake and tea to go.

The waiter came scurrying back with their bag."Is your friend okay miss-?" She trailed off with a questioning tone.

"Erza. And he's fine, we were just returning to the guildhall." He was definitely not okay, and she hadn't the slightest idea who he was either. Causing needless worry wasn't exactly a thing that was on her to do list right now though.

"Oh, you're both wizards then!" She said smiling. "What guild are you in?"

"We're in-"

"You're Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail, right?!"

The sudden outburst came from the other end of the cafe. A man stood up clutching a camera. "Can I get a photo please?"

She glanced back at the body on her back. "I'd prefer if you didn't at this time. My colleague is badly hurt and we like to show Fairy Tail at its strongest, not its weakest."

The man visually sagged. "Alright. But next time you're around here I'll catch ya!" He took his seat and returned to his own business with the occasional glance in their direction.

"Fairy Tail, huh? Life as a wizard must be pretty interesting." The waitress intoned as she walked away.

Erza left the cafe with their snacks and proceeded to make a beeline to her cart. She set the goods down on the edge and grabbed the handle. The train station was across town, with this guy on her back clanking all the way it was going to be a long walk.

Making her way downtown, walking fast, she passed numerous people. Most knew her by her bright red hair, and approached her only to stop when the saw someone passed out on her back. They gave her adequate space to get through with her cart, but not enough to maneuver properly.

They arrived at the station earlier than expected. This was to Erza's advantage however, and she took it with stride. Grabbing their tickets took only a few moments of explaining to the conductor that they'd need a private booth as to not startle the other passengers. An agreement was made quickly and her luggage was loaded onto the train.

She followed the numbers on her tickets to their compartment. What should she do now? She couldn't sit down with him on her, she could Injure him further by doing that. She could set him down, but if he woke up at that point he'd probably freak out. His arm was still draped over her shoulder. Maybe if she poked him?

Lightly tapping his hand, Erza moved further into the compartment. The boy made nothing that could be interpreted as a response. She continued putting a slight inconsistent pressure on his hand for a few minutes, and when he still didn't stir she set him down on a seat that would give him enough room to lie flat.

He wasn't very tall, average at best Erza decided as she sat adjacent from him. Probably a bit taller than her though. His face looked like it'd seen many battles, a scar making itself present under his left eye. Erza dragged her gaze from his face to the angry bruises on his arms along with the lacerations that dotted his limbs.

He wasn't bleeding anymore. Was he bleeding when she first found him anyways? It had seemed like it, but nothing had rubbed off or stand her clothing, right? With a quick inspection she affirmed that he hadn't bled out on her. Even as a wizard who fought for money, looking nice was important, and bloodstains didn't exactly fit into the average person's definition of looking nice.

The final call for passengers was being made and Erza idly scanned the crowd in the station from her window. When she caught someone's gaze who obviously knew who she was, she grabbed the curtains and drew them shut. Let's not draw attention to myself right now.

Her attention drifted to the boy across from her. He hadn't moved yet, causing Erza to furrow her brow. Was he really just that tired? Or did he lose too much blood beforehand? Erza leaned forward to tap his cheek when he made a small noise.

"Nng."

She quickly retracted her hand, fearing she might startle him if he woke with something at such a proximity to him. His face contorted into that of a scowl as he shifted in his sleep.

Erza watched him move around slightly, his good arm twitching every now and then. He was sound asleep, or she thought he was. There really wasn't anyway to tell. He could have just exhausted his energy to the point of being unable to move until his body replenished some of its strength.

The train started moving then, it's movement causing the space they were in to shake. The boys limbs were jostled along with the seat. She winced for him as his bad arm slipped off of his stomach and onto the seat beside him. Despite this, he didn't wake, he merely muttered something unintelligible before his good hand twitched yet again.

Was he dreaming of something? Peering at his hand, waiting for another motion, Erza sat quietly. The train was gaining considerable speed and with it the severity of some less than appealing track work was increasing. Bumping and bouncing all over the old section of these tracks, the compartment continued to be pushed around.

On a particularly bad patch, their little space dipped suddenly and they were treated to an abrupt smack against the seats. Erza scanned the form across from her to see if anything had happened. He hadn't moved, but his face was scrunched up. If Erza hadn't known he was asleep she might've thought he was throwing some sort of fit. But in knowing his current state she leaned closer, inspecting his expression for any hint of pain.

"..n." N? Just a noise? It looked like he was trying to say something. She couldn't be sure until more was said, that is if anything else was said at all.

"...ren..." He was definitely trying to say something. No two ways about it. Erza full on stared at him, willing him to continue.

"...en... Ere..." He looked like he was about to cry. She wasn't sure how to deal with this person. Comforting would be an option if he wasn't asleep.

"Eren...?" Wait, a name? Was he calling out for someone? His face lost its expression and went blank. Almost immediately after it warped into a fearful expression.

"E-Eren?! EREN!" The boy bolted upright, eyes snapping open and locking onto the only other thing in this area.

Startled by his sudden outburst, Erza scooched back on her seat, giving him some room. He was glaring daggers at her, as if he'd forgotten their encounter earlier. It was a possibility after all, he'd lost blood, passed out and was obviously in a position that made him vulnerable. He shouldn't be glaring though, she'd given up a job and spent money on his ticket and food just to get him this far.

"If you're going to complain, don't. I could've gone about my business and left you out there." Erza rummaged through the bag with their snacks. She pulled out a piece of cake and a fork. Placing it on a napkin she held it out in front of him and looked at him expectantly. "You've lost blood so I got you something to keep yourself conscious. There's tea in here as well."

The boy's eyes flickered to the cake and back to Erza several times before he sighed. He readjusted his position on the seat, moving his legs to dangle off the edge.

"Thank you, Miss Scarlet." He said as he reached for the cake.

So he did remember the events that happened earlier. That was good considering he looked like a cornered cat ready to pounce on anything that came near.

He was eyeing the cake with an air of confusion surrounding him. Erza had grabbed her own piece of cake from the bag and had taken a bite. Fantastic, they must have caught the cafe on their fresh goods day. Their slices were from a much bigger cake, a mere sliver of the thing really. But they were completely worth every jewel.

They sat in silence, Erza enjoying her cake immensely while the other across from her studied his rescuer. The cake sat on his lap, the napkin sliding between the slight crease between his legs. His eyes followed the treat, as if he was unsure what to do with it.

He cleared his voice before beginning, "Was this expensive Miss Scarlet?" Erza shook her head. Was this why he wasn't touching it?

"It was only around six hundred Jewels. The tea was four hundred. Just pocket change."

He visibly paled, looking at the cake in his lap.

"I can't accept this. It's too much for me to pay you back. I can't make that in a year, let alone pay you back while being able to afford food."

The queen of fairies deadpanned. How bad a job did he have where he couldn't make a thousand Jewel in a year? It truly was pocket change, and if he isn't able to make this in a year, how has he not died yet?

"What kind of job do you have?" She inquired, interested in knowing how he made a living.

"I'm a soldier." What kind of soldier wore clunky boxes with thin swords? So many straps as well, perhaps he was in a guild? Thinking about it, they weren't as strange as some of her armours, but they looked to be a weapon.

"I see. You must mean the Fiore Royal Military, right?" A grunt soldier was the only possibility. Their wages were poor, but Erza couldn't think of anything else. Surely a grunt would make over a hundred-thousand jewels though, regardless of being military dogs, they still had to pay for rent and other necessities. It was a stretch considering the difference of uniform, but this could be a casual thing.

He shook his head. "No, of our three branches, I serve the scouting legion. I have our insignia on my cape, I'm surprised you didn't recognize it." He examined the train's interior. The carved wood on the handles of their seats caught his eye. "Such fine craftsmanship, are we in wall Sina? That might explain your lack of knowledge for the separate branches of military."

There was this talk about walls again. "I don't know anything about these walls you're speaking of, and you're mentioning them quite a bit. Care to explain?" The boy's attention was ripped from the handles and became fixed on Erza. She met his gaze, noting the underlying confusion that was currently growing from both ends of their situation.

His voice went flat. "What do you mean 'care to explain'...? How could you not know what the walls are? They should be visible out any window unless obstructed by something." He nodded towards the curtains. "And even if you couldn't see them through there, just step outside this building."

Things were starting to get weird, what had happened to this boy that had left him with wounds and spouting nonsense about walls? Erza reached towards the curtains and drew them open, the sunlight flooding the dim room. The boy shielded his eyes from the sudden burst of light.

He slowly drew back his arm, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light. You could almost see his heart stop when he looked out those windows.

To those whom it may concern;

Sorry for the horrifyingly long wait. I can't really say anything else. I had this chapter done about four to five months ago, totally finished along with chapter three. But my laptop where everything was saved on failed on a bios level. I've tried to recreate what was there but it's taken me awhile to remember.

Anyways, shoving that aside, I've hit a few bumps, and by bumps, I mean age. Erza over here, is 19 on the DEBUT of FT, and Mikasa is only 15. Fifteen guys. I know love knows no bounds, but even in my crackships I like to have their age closer. So Mikasa is temporarily being aged up to 18. Everyone else in the AoTverse will be aged if brought in. Also, sorry for the horrible OOCness.


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